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MST3K 822 - Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
The Movie Synopsis In a "dystopian" corporate future society, "Processor Third Class" Aram Fingal (Raul Julia) is caught "scrolling up cinemas," or watching movies - specifically, Casablanca - and is diagnosed and treated to a virtual reality vacation known as "doppling", where he can take the form of an animal. At the doppling facility, a visiting school brat decides to switch some routing tags around, and that's when things start to go haywire... Background *''Loosely'' based on a short story by John Varley, Overdrawn at the Memory Bank was originally broadcast on the New York City PBS affiliate WNET in 1983, and was partially funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Overdrawn_at_the_Memory_Bank_1983.aspx *The movie was shot on videotape in order to take advantage of cutting-edge (for their time) digital graphics and special effects. *The wild-animal footage was taken from the documentary Animals Are Beautiful People. The scene in which animals appear to be getting drunk from eating the fruit of the Marula tree is alleged to have been staged. *The film is riddled with plot holes, and good reason, as the film did not complete production.Citation needed The Episode Host Segments Opening: Crow cashes in on his 'loved by millions' catch phrase, "You know you want me baby!" Intro: Mike tries a few catchphrases himself, and as usual, fails miserably (We're all out of toner!). Pearl, assisted by Ortega, starts her own public-TV station in order to enrich herself through pledge drives. Segment One: Tom and Crow order a monkey from "Instant Monkeys Online". It escapes, urinates on Mike's shoes, and throws stuff. The bots named the monkey Henry Kissinger "because of his scalp". Segment Two: Mike keeps fighting Henry, and we get to see a "very special pledge week special of a special pledge week special", "Pearl! Pearl! Pearl! Pearl! Pearl!" which features a duet by Pearl and Brain Guy. Segment Three: Tom wants to be 'doppled' to the nanite world and cause trouble. He soon regrets it. End: Bobo tries to talk Henry down, but Henry turns the tables on Bobo, and convinces him to throw things like microwaves. The bots are scared at first, but of course, when Mike takes action, the Bots scorn him. Meanwhile, Pearl counts her 'pony playing from some well meaning liberals'. Stinger:"Mum... 'm I nuts?" Quotes & References * Public Pearl intro music. Same music used on the Mystery Science Theater Hour. The reference made by Pearl (and the screenshot shown on the monitor) for "Michael Nelson's Lord of the Dance" is a callback to the introductory host segment in Jack Frost. *''"Oh, if only she spoke French..."'' A reference to how Gomez Addams (probably Raul Julia's most famous role) was always driven mad when his wife Morticia spoke French. *''"Oh no, you think Mark Russell is gonna be in this?"'' Mark Russell is a fixture on PBS, doing "comedy specials" where, sitting at a red, white, and blue piano, he takes toothless jabs at both political parties, being very careful to offend neither side. *''"But I'm signed to play Archbishop Romero!"'' A reference to the 1989 film Romero, in which Raul Julia played the assassinated Salvadoran archbishop Óscar Romero. *''"I hear the transpod comin'/It's comin' round the bend..."'' A parody of the Johnny Cash song "Folsom Prison Blues". *''"They must have a Jack in the Box in the food court!"'' A reference to an E. coli outbreak that occurred among customers of Jack in the Box fast food restaurants in 1993. Or, alternatively, just a comment on the general unpopularity of the restaurant chain. *''"Come/As you are/To my mall/To my atrium, yeah yeah"'' Referencing the Nirvana song Come As You Are. *''"Elizabeth Clare Prophet and David Duchovny look on."'' Elizabeth Clare Prophet is the leader of the Church Universal and Triumphant, a religious movement that has been widely denounced as a cult. David Duchovny is an actor best known for starring as Fox Mulder on The X-Files. The two Novicorp bigwigs bear a striking resemblance, respectively. *''"Appearing tonight, Slayer!"'' Reference to the popular thrash metal band from California. *''"Eraserhead was easier to follow than this."'' A reference to David Lynch's first movie, which, unlike this, was supposed to be surreal and have an abstract plot that made very little literal sense. *''"And now you find yourself in 82....!"'' Bobo starts to croon'' 'Heat of the Moment''' by Asia. (Pearl then understandably knees him in the face.) *''"maruba fruit"'' This term used in the film for the fruit the monkeys use to get drunk should actually be "marula fruit" as pointed out here. *''"It's a Viv Savage Christmas ornament!"'' Viv Savage was one of the keyboard players for the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap. *''"This is sexual harassment, and I'm going to take it!'' A takeoff on an anti-sexual harassment PSA from the early 1990s, in which a woman stands up to her lecherous boss by saying she's NOT going to take it. *''"The days of maruba fruit and roses."'' A reference to the title of the classic film The Days of Wine and Roses, about the relationship between a couple of alcoholics. *''(After hearing what hears like voices being played backwards) "Kill myself? OK, no problem."'' A reference to rumors about bands using the practice of "backmasking", putting backwards messages into their recordings. In particular, the band Judas Priest was sued by the parents of a teenage boy who committed suicide, who claimed that Judas Priest had hidden the message "Do it" in one of their songs. *''"Of all the public television stations in the world..."'' In the spirit of Casablanca being key to the movie; Mike parodies one of its most famous quotes: "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine." *''"I've got a fever for the flavor of Fingal!"'' A play on a Pringles advertising slogan from the 1980s. *''"Angus Young!"'' Angus Young is the co-founder and lead guitarist of the band AC/DC. He was known for dressing like and English public schoolboy on stage. *''"Eating Raul!"'' A reference to the 1982 black comedy film Eating Raoul. *"We just lost Watson." "He came here, we wanted him." A reference to Alexander Graham Bell and the first words ever spoken over telephone: "Mr. Watson — Come here — I want to see you." *''"Fashion"'' Tom Servo says this a few times while the computers make beeping noises which sound very familiar to the electronic beat of Fashion by David Bowie. *''"You can't always get what you want.."'' A reference to the Rolling Stones song of the same name, sung by a chorus. A choir is heard in the background as an angelic Apollonia is floating down from the sky. *''"Could Woody Allen bring a lawsuit against these people?" "I don't think Woody's gonna bring too many lawsuits against anyone, really."'' Around the time this aired, Woody Allen was embroiled in various legal entanglements related to the end of his longtime relationship with Mia Farrow, and scandal over the fact he'd left her for Farrow's adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn. (If you're wondering why Woody Allen would sue, it's because this is all very similar to his play and movie Play It Again, Sam, ''in which a neurotic guy is given advice on life by a vision of Humphrey Bogart from ''Casablanca.) Video Release Commerically released on DVD by Rhino in November 2003 as part of The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Volume 4, a 4-DVD set with Space Mutiny, Girl in Gold Boots, and Hamlet, the DVD was later pulled in January 2010 due to Rhino no longer obtaining the rights to distribute Mst3k. The DVD features an intro by Mike Nelson, specifically taped for the release. The writers made (somewhat) sure not to make fun of Raul Julia explicitly for his performance in the movie, as the actor - who was well respected outside of this flop - had died three years before the episode aired. References Category:MST3K Episodes Category:Season 8 Category:Dystopian Film Category:'As Seen on TV' Category:80s Movie Category:Unrated movies Category:Episodes directed by Kevin Murphy